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The next Madden NFL video game promises to be more realistic - not just with its graphics - but also with head concussions.

The new game prevents head tackling and helmet-to-helmet tackles. If a player is injured, he sits out the rest of the game, and the announcers discuss how serious head injuries are. (Video Source: Viso Games)

The NFL and John Madden, whom the game series is named after, both praise the upcoming changes. A writer for NBC’s ProFootballTalk says they want gamers to take injuries more seriously.

“I don’t know too many people who play Madden and think of themselves as being educated by a teaching tool, but there’s no question that if the Madden game is going to depict the NFL accurately, it needs to deal with concussions.”

And a writer for Time’s Techland blog adds:

“For too long, young kids were unaware of the dangers associated with football concussions. If your head got dinged, conventional wisdom favored just toughing it out and getting back in the game. Now it seems concussion awareness is about to reach a whole new level...”

The new game also doesn’t show replays of injured players, which some people say glorifies violence. The New York Times says this is a big change for the Madden franchise and developer EA Sports.

“In the 1992 version of its N.H.L. game, players who were checked hard or hit their heads on the ice could be shown unconscious in growing pools of blood. (The feature was quickly removed.) In the Madden game, ambulances used to drive onto the field and run over players.”

But Mike Golic of ESPN’s Mike & Mike says - the game is not real - and gamers should know that.

“Let them destroy one another on the video game. If, let me tell ya, if a player has a problem distinguishing between the video he’s playing and then going on the field and doing it, he shouldn’t be in the league anyway.”

EA says the game will be available in August.

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